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Saturday, February 24, 2007

Effectiveness of Provincial Reconstruction Teams

Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) were established early on in Afghanistan, as well as Iraq. The purpose of these PRTs is to:

Provide both improved security and to facilitate reconstruction and economic development throughout the country. The United States and the international community envision the PRTs as transitional structures[;] they are established to support the elected [host nation] government.

In Iraq, the new strategy, beyond increasing troops, entails transforming the structure of the PRT to a State Department - led, civil/military endeavor:

The most important difference between the original PRT model and the Embedded PRTs is that instead of it being lead and comprised of primarily military personnel, the team leader will be a State Department official and the deputy team leader will be a senior military commander. Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) will work alongside PRTs providing "security, life support and operations." In a soon to be published USIP report, the operational concept, command and control, and funding for Embedded PRTs is clearly outlined.

It would be interesting to see what the actual PRT metrics are for both IRAQ and Afghanistan; that is, what is the causal link between the PRTs and economic growth, stability, etc.

It would seem that if a PRT (or anything for that matter) drastically increases the economic activity in a certain area, that the people, having discretionary income and stability, would refrain from and resist violence/extremism.

Anyone who can find official documents referencing the effects of the PRTs, please link them in the comments section of this post.

3 comments:

Bob W, couldn't find any references to the PRT but I did see a news clip on Afghanistan (FOXNEWS) about an INCREASING problem with poverty and under-development. The clip also referred to the fact that the Taliban/al-Qaeda are moving into these ghetto areas "promising the world".

The same thing has happened in Iraq. Where did all that money go? -just to build up the Iraq and Afghan Armies?

With this constant US bombing, soldiers everywhere, how could not people be scared to death? I would. The whole country is under the worst Marshall Law. US there is not to help, but to destroy and this is their aim. Forget about helpinng the local people.

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About Me

I am an unrepentant New Englander, passing time in and around the D.C. Beltway. I work happily and incessantly, spending the minutes that remain with my family. I am a conservative in the style of Milton Friedman, although eclectic is a better tag, if you are trying to pin a label on me. . .